Showing posts with label catholic schools week. Show all posts
Showing posts with label catholic schools week. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

January Radiant Roundup

 

Happy New Year, Friends! This marks the start of the FIFTH year of offering the Radiant Roundup, and I've been so grateful for the more practical organization method, opportunity to pull things out of the archives, and chance to share some new things in an easy & quick manner. If you haven't already subscribed, I send a brief monthly newsletter hitting the highlights for the coming month. You can sign up in the navy box to the right of this post. May God bless you richly in 2026!

Resources with a * mean that they contain free printables (or shareable digital files).


Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus: Feast Day January 3rd
Names of Jesus Mini Poster* 
The Significance of the Sign of the Cross Study*  (includes content on taking the Lord's Name in vain)


Mary, Mother of God: January 1st
Marian Ideas Collection* 

Epiphany: First Sunday after January 1st (Traditionally January 6th, Observed Sunday, January 4, 2026)
Epiphany Home Blessing Kit* (Includes updates for the next few years)
*Original Post updated to include Home Blessing Booklets in Spanish*
Gifts of the Magi Bible Study* (Google Classroom Assignment)

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: January 4th
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Mini Study (Google Classroom Assignment)

Baptism of the Lord: Second Sunday after January 1st (Observed Sunday, January 11, 2026)
A great time to study the life of Jesus: Passport to the Holy Land Study

Ordinary Time is perfect for growing in the virtues!
Virtues & Saints Bible Study* 3 guides for the Theological Virtues
Virtues & Saints Bible Study* 4 guides for the Cardinal Virtues

St. Marianne Cope- January 23rd

Servant of God Antonio Inija: January 26th (date of martyrdom)
St. Thomas Aquinas: January 28th
St. Thomas Aquinas Mini Study* (Google Classroom Assignment)

St. John Bosco: January 31st
St. John Bosco Mini Study* (Google Classroom Assignment)

Catholic Schools Week: Begins on the last Sunday in January
Saint Pennants- Perfect decor for Catholic Schools Week*

Resources for a New Year:
Start the year off with weekly readings and reflections with my books!
Through the Year With Jesus


Begin using the Looking for Jesus kids' bulletins (12 editions, can space out for the whole year)*




Traditional Catholic Monthly Devotions:
Monthly Devotion Calendar Signs*



You can find the links to the monthly Radiant Roundups here:

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Friday, January 26, 2024

Saints & Sports Bulletin Board


Our Catholic Schools Week activities are themed around the Olympics and the Saints- each class is representing a country around the world and a Saint from that country.

I love a good theme, so switched up my bulletin board to feature Saints living well- playing sports and enjoying the outdoors. I plan to share their stories with my students, and will be reading some excerpts from Pope St. John Paul II's speeches to athletes. (There is a great list here, and you can check the full text on the Vatican website)

I want to share with my students that we can celebrate the gift of athletics and sports– as well as challenge them to see how we can use those talents while also serving the Lord and growing in holiness.


Saints included are:
• Pope Saint John Paul II (hiking, skiing, camping)
• Blessed Chiara Luce Badano (pictured playing in the snow, also a tennis player)
• Saint John Bosco (encouraged students to play sports)
• Saint Carlo Acutis (soccer)
• Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati (mountain climbing, skiing)
• Blessed Gianna Molla (hiking)
• Blessed Benedict Daswa (played soccer)
• Servant of God Michelle Duppong (grew up on a farm)
• Venerable Carla Ronci (riding a Vespa)
• Saint Dulce Pontes (played soccer)
• Venerable Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan (pictured riding a bike)
• Venerable Guido Schäffer (surfing)



Saints & Sports images here:
 

Sports & Virtue Quotes from JP2 here:


"Be Saints" letter outlines here:


During class that week, we talked about Saints who were athletic. Each grade level chose a particular Saint, so I also specifically taught about St. Sebastian, Ven. Teresita Quevedo, and Pope St. John Paul II. This slide show includes a favorite Fr. Mike Schmitz video using some great sports analogies, a video for the three Saints chosen for our junior high classes, as well as photos of the Saints and the sports/activities they did. Click here for the presentation:

Then I had the students pick one Saint they were interested in and do a little research. I included some great wisdom from JP2 to athletes on the back, hoping that they might take it home and hang it up as a reminder!
Click here for a printable version of the activity:
And click here for a digital version you could assign in Google Classroom, etc.:



If you are looking for more bulletin board ideas, check out this post:
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Saturday, January 28, 2023

Mentors to Saints Bulletin Board- Perfect for Catholic Schools Week!



While prepping for a retreat for high schoolers this past fall, I wanted to make something encouraging to hang up in the chaperone hospitality room- a little message to express our thanks to the priests, youth group leaders, overnight chaperones, kitchen workers, and retreat team for the often unseen impact they have on the teens they work with. 

My brainstorming led me to think about Ven. Jan Tyranowski- a man who was asked to direct his parish's youth ministry during the turbulence of WWII in Poland. With so many priests arrested and sent to concentration camps, Tyranowski took his role seriously, beginning first with his own holiness. He passed that call to holiness on to the young men of his own parish, eventually leading to five diocesan priests and six religious vocations. And one of those diocesan priests was Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope St. John Paul II.

More brainstorming led to some other awesome mentors to Saints during their youth, and it's not surprising to me that most of these mentors are either Canonized or on the path to Canonization themselves!

-St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her parents Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin
-St. Kizito and his catechist St. Charles Lwanga
-St. Dominic Savio and his teacher St. John Bosco
-Bl. Chiara Luce Badano and her mentor Servant of God Chiara Lubich
-Ven. Augustus Tolton and his pastor Fr. Peter McGirr


Whether youth group leaders, teachers, catechists, godparents, mentors, or the parents of young people, we know that adults impact their formation in the faith and growth in virtue. The Lord can use His humble servants to share His goodness and guide their paths to Him. And we pray to be worthy of that call! I'm reusing this display as an encouragement for my coworkers during Catholic Schools Week, and you are welcome to use it yourself!


Click here for the "print ready" mini posters with photos and captions on the same page:

Click here for the mini posters with separate photos and captions if you'd like be able to cut them apart to create something like the display I made above:

Do any other young Saints and their mentors come to mind? Leave their names in the comments and I'll add to the collection!
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Sunday, January 1, 2023

January Radiant Roundup

 

Happy New Year, Friends! It's been a year of offering the Radiant Roundup, and I've been so grateful for the more practical organization method, opportunity to pull things out of the archives, and chance to share some new things in an easy & quick manner. If you haven't already subscribed, I'm also sending a brief monthly newsletter hitting the highlights for the coming month. You can sign up in the navy box to the right of this post. May God bless you richly in 2023!

Resources with a * mean that they contain free printables (or shareable digital files).


Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus: Feast Day January 3rd
Names of Jesus Mini Poster* 
The Significance of the Sign of the Cross Study*  (includes content on taking the Lord's Name in vain)
Mary, Mother of God: January 1st
Marian Ideas Collection* 

Epiphany: First Sunday after January 1st (traditionally January 6th)
Epiphany Home Blessing Kit* (Includes updates for the next few years)
*Original Post updated to include Home Blessing Booklets in Spanish*
Gifts of the Magi Bible Study* (Google Classroom Assignment)

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: January 4th
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Mini Study (Google Classroom Assignment)

Ordinary Time is perfect for growing in the virtues!
Virtues & Saints Bible Study* 3 guides for the Theological Virtues
Virtues & Saints Bible Study* 4 guides for the Cardinal Virtues


St. Thomas Aquinas: January 28th
St. Thomas Aquinas Mini Study* (Google Classroom Assignment)

St. John Bosco: January 31st
St. John Bosco Mini Study* (Google Classroom Assignment)

Catholic Schools Week: Begins on the last Sunday in January
Saint Pennants- Perfect decor for Catholic Schools Week*

Resources for a New Year:
Start the year off with weekly readings and reflections with my books!
Through the Year With Jesus

Traditional Catholic Monthly Devotions:
Monthly Devotion Calendar Signs*




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